More than anything this January and February should teach us that nothing is impossible in the modern NFL. Nothing is inevitable, no team incapable of scoring an upset.

And there is no magic formula for success, no matter how hard we try to look for it. The New York Giants have a lot of talent, but they have looked absolutely miserable at times this season. Two months ago I had a Giants’ friend say this to me: “for the first time, today I started thinking about the Giants’ future without Eli.”

If this Giants’ team can win the Super Bowl, who isn’t a contender next year?

And though the Giants’ victory is a tragedy in my world, I still find solace in a Patriots loss. Watching Belichick ignore Mike Carey’s pleas to stay on the sideline, abandon his team and leave the field with time on the clock was staggering. What an asshole.

Seeing the Patriots fail is something that brings me happiness, and I feel no guilt over this. Will they suffer the curse of the Super Bowl loser? God I hope so.

I am ill-prepared to live in a world where Eli Manning is a Super Bowl MVP. I’m shaken.

Dealing with my many friends who are Giants’ fans will be difficult for the next year. I always had the Eli jokes to trump whatever insults they threw my way. I’m not sure what I have to hang my hat on any more.